Blue Snakebite
by Icenectar
Summary: A young man is being pursued by some vicious killers. The only place to hide is in a flower shop. Omi, Aya, Yoji, and Ken are soon aware of the true nature of the young man and why he was being pursued. NOTE: Contains a few yaoi scenes


Blue Snakebite

            He sighed as he sat back and stared at his computer.  He ran his hands through his silken blonde hair and blinked his aqua colored eyes.  A small russet-colored cat rubbed against his legs and he picked the small animal up. 

            "I've got work to do. I don't have time for you," he said as he patted the minute animal's head.  A noise outside the window made the young man's ears perk up.  He set the cat on the floor and picked up a sheathed sword that lay in the corner of the room.  The lights flickered and dimmed as the outside power was cut off.

            "Oh man! All that work down the drain," he said as his computer screen faded off.  He unsheathed his sword.  The cat meowed in terror and scampered underneath the couch.  He flattened his back against the wall and intently listened for the sound of his attackers.  Shattered glass rained in from the window as a very agile, cloaked figure crouched low on the floor.

            "Give us the disk, Ritchfield," his attacker hissed and the young man glanced at the door.

            "I don't have it," he said as another stranger burst through the door.  He ducked as his second attacker fired a round of bullets from a small handgun.  Ritchfield swung his sword at his first attacker and dove out the window.  His feet frantically pounded the wet pavement as he rounded the street corner.  He could hear his pursuers footsteps chasing after him as he ran into a store, dove underneath a table, and flattened his body on the floor.  He breathed heavily as he watched his attackers continue to run down the street from in-amongst a beautiful flower display.

            "May I help you?" a young man's voice asked and Ritchfield stood up.

            "Sorry to come in like that," Ritchfield said and sheathed his sword.

            "What did you do? Should we turn you in to the police?"  a young man with short auburn hair inquired.

            "Those guys were going to kill me."

            "Nice weapon," a redhead said as he set a vase of flowers on a shelf.

            "I'm in a flower shop?"  Ritchfield inquired as he looked around.

            "Yeah. Didn't you see the sign on the door?"  the young man with auburn hair asked.

            "I just ran into the shop. I didn't care what kind of shop it was. I just had to have a place to hide. So who are you guys?"

            "We should be asking you that question. It's our shop," the redhead said as he folded his arms.

            "I'm Kay Ritchfield. I work part time in the research lab down in the government offices. I'm a musician and a college student the other half of my time."

            "So what were those guys after?"  the auburn haired young man inquired.

            "Could I get names so that I can put a name with a face? First names will work. I don't need last names."

            "I'm Omi," the youngest of the group said. "That's Ken. Over there is Aya and back there is Yoji."

            "So all four of you work here?"

            "We don't like loiterers," Aya said as he walked into the back room.

            "Real friendly guy," Kay commented.

            "Aya doesn't do much for conversation," Ken replied.

            "So why were they after you?"  Omi inquired.

            "You seem to be fairly intelligent. Take a look at the hilt. Does anything seem strange?"  Kay asked as he handed his sword to Omi.

            "What instrument do you play?"  Ken asked.

            "Currently guitar because there's a bigger market for it. I also play a few brass and woodwind instruments."

            "The square is a data chip, isn't it?"  Omi asked.

            "Yes. It goes with the disk in my pocket," Kay said as he pulled off his sweater.

            "What's on the disk?"  Aya asked.

            "I can't tell you that."

            "Obviously some sort of evidence is on that disk," Omi said and Kay looked at him.

            "You're right. I'd better get going. It looks like I gave them the slip," Kay said as he took his sword from Omi's grasp.

            "Where are you going to go?"  Ken asked.

            "I don't know. I can't go home. It's too dangerous. I guess I'll have to go to a hotel."

            "Don't do that. Here."

            "What's this?"

            "My keys. I live above the shop. Make yourself at home."

            "We shouldn't get involved," Aya said.

            "Go ahead. I don't mind," Ken said and Kay looked at Aya.

            "Does he stay with you?"  Kay asked.

            "We live in the same apartment house. Those two aren't _that_ close," Yoji said as Aya coldly brushed past him.

            "Here comes our fan club guys," Ken said.

            "Bring on the ladies," Yoji said as he adjusted his sunglasses.

            "Not again," Omi groaned as he moved a vase of flowers.

            "Maybe your friend is right. Maybe you shouldn't get involved," Kay said as he headed towards the door.

            "Don't worry about it. I like musicians," Ken said as Kay opened the door and a swarm of girls entered the shop.  Kay smiled politely at the girls as he walked out of the shop.  He pulled the band that held his hair back in a ponytail and shook his head.  Aya watched his graceful movements for a moment then turned away from the window.  For a musician he was carrying an extremely well crafted weapon and Aya was certain that the weapon wasn't just for decoration.  Kay definitely knew how to use it and he knew how to use it well.

***

            Kay opened the apartment door and stepped inside.  He set his sword on the couch and pulled off his sweater.  He unbuttoned his shirt and glanced around the room.  He set the computer disk and data chip on the coffee table and gazed out the window.  He sighed as he turned and walked out of the apartment.  Omi watched Kay walk past the shop and ran after him.

            "Where are you going?"  Omi inquired and Kay glanced behind him.

            "I'll be back. I'm going to get my guitar. Whose motorcycle?"  Kay asked.

            "Ken's."

            "Omi get back to work," Aya said and Omi ran back into the shop.

            "Where's he going?"  Ken asked.

            "He said he's getting his guitar," Omi replied.

            "I don't think he's told us everything," Aya said.

            "What do you mean?"

            "That sword is too well-made to be in the hands of a novice."

***

            Kay walked into the apartment and sat on the couch.  He opened his guitar case and took out his guitar.  He played a few chords as Ken walked into the room.

            "Aya's making dinner tonight. You're welcome to join us," Ken said as he tied his sweater around his waist.

            "I think I'll pass. I don't get good vibrations from that guy," Kay said.

            "Aya's not that bad. I'll bring back something for you."

            "Here are your keys."

            "Thanks," Ken said and took his key ring from Kay's outstretched hand.  Their hands touched for a few seconds and Kay watched Ken's body language.  Ken withdrew his hand and smiled. Kay went back to playing his guitar as Ken walked out of the room.

***

            "So where's your visitor?"  Aya asked as Ken sat at the table.

            "Your attitude turned him off," Ken replied.

            "Where's he going to sleep?"  Yoji inquired.

            "Maybe we'll share the bed."

            "Why? You've got a couch," Omi said.

            "Maybe we'll share the couch then," he said and Yoji set down his fork.

            "I'm extremely tempted to eat out," he said and Aya looked at him.

            "What's that music?"  Omi inquired.

            "It's a guitar," Aya said.

            "It must be Kay."

            "He's singing also," Ken said.

            "He's got a good voice. If I could sing like that, I'd go into show business," Yoji said.

            "I wonder what he's going to school for?"

            "Why don't you ask him?"

            "Perhaps later. Check this out, will you Omi?"  Ken asked as he handed Omi Kay's computer disk and data chip.

            "How did you get these?"  Omi asked.

            "He left them on the coffee table. He didn't notice they were missing when he got back. I think it's time we knew what information those guys were after. Great meal Aya. I'll help clean up."

            "You're serious about him staying, aren't you?"  Aya asked as Ken set his dishes into the sink.

            "I think we've got some similarities," Ken replied as he turned on the tap.

            "Such as…?"

            "You know. Do we have anything left? I told him I'd bring something back for him."

            "If he wanted to eat then he should have been here."

            "Well you aren't the most amiable guy, Aya."

            "I still don't think we should have gotten involved."

            "I'm going back to my room. See you guys later," Ken said as he walked out of the apartment.

            "You play soccer?"  Kay asked as Ken walked into the room.

            "Yeah. I sort of coach it too," Ken said as he pulled off his shirt.

            "Where can I put this? If I play it too much, I'll hurt my hand."

            "Set it over there. You have a beautiful singing voice. You could make a career out of it. What are you going to school for?"

            I'm taking mostly self-defense classes right now. My schedule doesn't allow for anything but night classes at this point in time. At least I stay fit."

            "You've got great muscle tone."

            "Thanks. So what are we going to do about sleeping arrangements?"

            "We've got a couple of options. My bed's pretty big."

            "Mind if I take a look?"

            "No, go right ahead."

            Kay walked into the bedroom and glanced at the king-sized bed.  Ken walked up behind him and Kay spun around.  Ken smiled as Kay awkwardly heaved a sigh.

            "Sorry. I guess today has made me jumpy," he said as he sat on the bed.

            "That's all right. So, what do you think?"  Ken inquired.

            "I wish I had a bed like this."

            "Do you have a sleeping preference?"

            "You're not involved with him are you?"

            "Aya? We're just friends. We work together."

            "All right. You just tend to wonder. I mean, with only men working in a flower shop."

            "We just like flowers," Ken said as Kay unzipped his pants.

            "How long have you worked there?"  Kay inquired as he folded his pants and laid them on the floor.

            "Six months I guess."

            "So you like to ride?"

            "Ride? Um…"

            "That was your bike, wasn't it?"

            "My bike? Oh. Yeah, it's a great machine."

            "I'm not the sort of guy that asks intimate questions right off the bat."

            Ken flushed as he dimmed the lights.  He pushed back the blankets and watched Kay stretch, flexing every inch of his graceful body.  Kay glanced out the window and sighed.  He knew that the day's events would affect the rest of his life.

***

            When Ken awoke the next morning, he found his arms interlocked with Kay's.  He gazed at the sleeping musician's figure and smiled.  Kay looked so beautiful asleep.  He wondered what the contents of the disk were that had made the beautiful creature sleeping next to him a target.

            Ken gently slid out of bed and stood up.  He pulled on a clean pair of pants and walked out of the room.  He opened the door and stared at Aya who gazed coldly at him.

            "Look at the front page," Aya said and handed Ken a newspaper.  Ken unfolded the paper and gasped at the headline.

            "But it can't be," Ken protested.

            "His apartment was bombed. They've labeled him as dead. He virtually doesn't exist anymore."

            "That's terrible. So what's on the disk?"

            "Omi's still working on it. How did you sleep?"

            "He's very beautiful. He's got an extremely graceful figure."

            "So I noticed. I'm going grocery shopping. Want to come?"

            "Sure. Omi deserves something for working so hard. Let me get dressed. Come on in."

            Aya walked into Ken's apartment and picked up Kay's sword.  He unsheathed it and examined it. It was an extremely beautiful and functional weapon. Aya swung it a few times, testing the weight.

            "It was my father's. You own a sword, don't you? I can tell by the way you handle it," Kay said as he stood in the bedroom doorway.

            "It's very nice," Aya said as he sheathed Kay's sword.

            "It's the only thing that I have left of my family. My father made the mistake of getting involved with the syndicate. He couldn't pay his debts and…I'm probably saying too much. As soon as I get my things together, I'll be out of your way."

            "You've had some dealings with the syndicate haven't you?"

            "Let's get going. We'll be back soon. We're just getting groceries," Ken said as he handed Aya a helmet.

            "You don't mind if I use the shower, do you?"  Kay asked as Ken walked out of the door.

            "No. Go right ahead. He has a thin, deep scar on his upper leg. He also has a blue cobra tattoo on his left shoulder."

            "What else did you find out?"  Aya asked as they walked out of the building.

            "His left ear has been pierced five times," Ken replied.

            "I looked his name up in the phonebook. His address doesn't match the address of the place that was bombed."

            "Maybe he recently moved."

            "Maybe that building was just a cover."

            "So we're checking it out?"

            "Exactly."

***

            "Hey Omi," Kay said as he ran a towel through his hair.

            "Is Ken here?"  Omi asked as he looked around the room.

            "No. He went with Aya to get groceries."

            "Oh. Is that a scar?"

            "On my leg? Yeah. I've had it for three years now. It was a painful injury considering the location."

            "It looks jagged."

            "I came in contact with a jagged blade. Is there a clothing store around here? I hate wearing the same clothes two days in a row."

            "I bet you could wear Yoji's clothes. Come on."

            "You want to borrow some of _my_ clothes?"  Yoji asked as Kay leaned against the doorway.

            "Just until I get my own clothes. You wear earrings, don't you?"  Kay inquired.

            "I do," Omi said.

            "Here. You'd better wash them before I get them back," Yoji said as he handed Kay a black shirt and a pair of black pants.

            "Thanks. How many earrings do you have?"  Kay asked Omi.

            "Six or seven. Most of them are like the one I have in my ear now," Omi said and Kay turned Omi's head to gaze at his ear.

            "Those will work. Do you have a telephone directory?"

            "Over there," Yoji said as he watched Kay pull the black shirt over his head.

            "Thanks. You wouldn't know the rates on cabs, would you?"

            "I've got a car."

            "Never mind. I'll figure it out. Thanks again for the clothes."

            "Here they are," Omi said and handed Kay a small box of earrings.

            "Thanks," Kay said as he put his hair back into a ponytail.  He picked up an earring and placed it into his ear.

            "That looks really cool."

            "Thanks. If anyone asks, I'll be back."

***

            "Nice house," Ken commented as they stood across the street gazing at an expensive house encircled by a large metal fence.  A cab pulled up to the curb in front of the house.  Kay stepped out of the cab and pained the driver.  He walked up to the gated driveway and pressed the call button.

            "What's he doing here?"  Aya asked."

            "I don't know. Should we move in closer?"  Ken asked.

            "Carefully. We're supposed to be out shopping."

            "Ritchfield is dead. The blue cobra will strike back," Kay said and waited as the giant gates swung open.  He walked up the driveway and suddenly stopped as Ken and Aya dove into a bush.  His eyes narrowed as he searched the grounds for anything out of the ordinary.  He sheathed his sword and continued to walk up the driveway.

            "That was close," Aya said.

            "Am I still alive? I think my heart stopped," Ken gasped.

            "You're very much alive. Did he seem like a hostile person?"

            "No. He was very submissive last night. I felt a little guilty for doing it."

            "He's going inside."

***

            "Hello, Kay," a butler said as Kay closed the door.

            "Hello Williams. It's been awhile, hasn't it? Behind the tree you will find two men. Let them in. If they're that curious, then they might as well know the truth," Kay said.

            "Very good. Shall I take your sword, sir?"

            "Yes. Put it on the bike. I'm going upstairs to change. Is Uncle Jonathon in?"

            "No sir. He's out for the day. Shall I leave a message for you?"

            "That's not necessary. Just let those two come in. You should find them by the south window by now."

            "Very good sir. Master Kay wishes for you to come in," Williams said as he opened the window and gazed out at Ken and Aya.

***

            Kay walked into his bedroom and took off Yoji's clothes.  He put on a pair of leather pants and pulled a black sleeveless shirt over his head.  He put a spiked bracelet on his right arm and attached a studded leather choker around his neck.  He placed black biker gloves on his hands and looked at his reflection in the mirror.  He picked up a bottle of what appeared to be water and ran it through his hair.  He shook his head and picked up a box of earrings.  He slipped Omi's out of his ear and replaced them with three cross-shaped and two studded earrings.

            "I want to know what this is about," Aya said as he opened Kay's bedroom door.

            "You know, you would have lasted longer if you hadn't gotten involved," Kay said.

            "Who ran into whose shop?"

            "So what are you really?"  Ken asked as Kay put his hair back into a ponytail.  He placed something into his eyes and blinked.

            "A musician," Kay replied. "Aya looks as if he wants more information."

            "I do," Aya said as Kay put on a pair of sunglasses.

            "Then why don't we go back to the shop?"

            "What do you mean?"  Ken asked.

            "That is, if you're all finished shopping," Kay said as he slipped on a pair of boots.  He stood up and walked out of his room.

            "Your vehicle is ready sir," Williams said as he met Kay at the bottom of the stairs.

            "Thank you Williams. How fast can your bike go?"

            "My bike? Pretty fast," Ken said as Kay walked out the front door.

            "Take a look at this," Kay said and pointed to a sleek black motorcycle that sat in the driveway.

            "_Very_ nice. How fast can it go?"  Ken asked as he ran his hands over Kay's sheathed sword.

            "It can get up to one-ninety. It's designed for speed, among other things," Kay said as he straddled his motorcycle.

            "Be careful Master Kay," Williams said as Kay put on his helmet and started the engine.

            "I'll be fine. I'll se you guys there."

***

            "Where are my clothes?"  Yoji asked as Kay walked into the shop.

            "Whatever happened to Ken and Aya? We're just lucky that it's been slow today," Omi said as he rearranged a floral display.

            "They'll be here shortly," Kay said as he watched Omi work.

            "If you're so busy, how could you afford that bike?"  Yoji asked.

            "That's yours? Wow," Omi said.

            "I'll get your things back to you. Here they are," Kay said as Ken and Aya walked into the shop.

            "Start explaining," Aya said and Ken grinned.

            "Not here. Upstairs. I have to get my disk back anyway."

***

            "First of all," Kay said as he draped his legs over the arm of the chair. "That house isn't mine. It's my uncle's. Secondly, I believe that the disk that Omi has in his computer will explain."

            "Go ahead Omi. Tell us what you found," Ken said and Omi glanced at Kay.

            "This disk contains the names of syndicate leaders and their death count. For other people, not their own," Omi said.

            "My family and friends were killed at the hands of the syndicate. I discovered the leaders names while I was working in the research lab. Have you ever heard the term blue snakebite?"  Kay inquired and Aya narrowed his eyes.

            "The syndicate killer," Aya muttered.

            "You've heard of me. I knew there was more to you guys than the flower shop."

            "But doesn't that guy have cat like eyes and blood-streaked hair?"  Omi inquired and Kay took off his sunglasses.

            "Does this answer your question?" he asked.

            "One of them."

            "So are you going after them for revenge or justice?"  Yoji asked as Kay pushed back his sunglasses.

            "Both," Kay replied as he glanced at Ken.  Ken returned the glance and smiled.

            "I guess that answers everything?"  Ken inquired as he watched Kay stand up.

            "Give me the addresses on that disk," Kay said to Omi.

            "Here you are," Omi said and handed a piece of paper to Kay.

            "Thanks. Well, I guess I'd better get going. I've involved you all far too much."

            "You left something in my room," Ken said and Kay looked at him.

            "I did?"  he asked.

            "Let's go get it."

***

            Ken kissed Kay on the mouth and Kay closed his eyes.  He felt Ken probe his mouth and ran his hands down Ken's rump.  Ken moved his hands to Kay's groin and began to stroke it.  Kay stiffened as he drew away from Ken and gasped.  He placed his hands on his waist and pushed down his pants.

            "Maybe we should move this to the bed," Ken suggested as Kay stretched.

            "I think that's a great idea," Kai said as he pulled off his shirt.  Ken rubbed the musician's chest and Kay undid his ponytail.

            "Your hair has changed."  
            "Perhaps it's the light."

            "No. You've got red streaks in your hair. You _are_ the syndicate killer."

            "Yes. Does that frighten you?"

            "No. I think we all have our dangerous sides."

            "Would you care to expand on that?"

            "Not really."

            "All right then. I won't question it."

            The morning sun bleached Ken's face as he rubbed his eyes and sat up.  He glanced beside him only to find that Kay was gone.  He stood up and walked into the living room. Kay wasn't there. He was not in the bathroom either.  Ken quickly pulled on a pair of pants and ran down the hall.  He knocked on Aya's door and awaited an answer.

            "What's wrong?"  Omi inquired as he walked out of his room, rubbing his eyes.

            "Kay is gone," Ken replied.

            "No he isn't. He's with Aya."

            "With Aya? Why?"

            "I don't know."

            "Maybe Aya wanted to spend some time with him," Yoji said as he pushed down his sunglasses.

            "Are you serious?"  Ken asked as Kay walked out of Aya's apartment.

            "You're bleeding," Omi said, pointing to Kay's arm.

            "That's all right. A snakebite is worse than a cut. I'll see you guys later," Kay said as he licked his wound.

            "Where's Aya?"  Ken asked.

            "Inside. He should be out soon. I've gotta get going. I have a list to take care of."

            "Is he gone?"  Aya inquired as he buttoned his shirt.

            "There's blood on your mouth," Omi commented and Ken glanced at Aya.

            "So what did you do? Come in and get him?"  he asked.

            "No. However, I did slip a tracking device on him," Aya replied as he wiped his mouth.

            "I thought you didn't want to get involved," Yoji said.

            "I changed my mind."

            "Isn't he beautiful?"  Ken asked.

            "Yes he is."

            "Let me get this straight. You both have…? That guy wasn't that good looking," Yoji said.

            "He's beautiful," Ken said.

            "I hope he comes back," Omi said.

***

            Kay parked his motorcycle and glanced at the house.  He was positive that it had an expensive security system.  He leaned against his bike and turned his left wrist over.  He set the data chip into a hidden panel on his bracelet and pressed a small green button.  He pressed a few buttons on his motorcycle and watched as the lights in the house dimmed.

            "Hey," Ken said and Kay looked at him.

            "What are you doing here?"  he asked. "Aren't you supposed to be working?"

            "They can cover for me."

            "The element of surprise is gone. I'm going to have to act quickly now. Try to keep up. I don't have time to look out for you."

            "I can move pretty fast."

            "Let's go then."

            "You are a beautiful runner."

            Kay said nothing as he jumped over the brick wall that surrounded the house.  He crouched low and surveyed the building, searching for an unlikely entrance.  Ken crouched next to him and gazed at the window.

            "That window is open," Ken said.

            "Yeah, but I don't have anything to cut the screen with," Kay said.

            "No problem."

            "Nice gloves. So what are you really? A hit man?" 

            "No. We're more like avengers. You can go in the window now."

            "Thanks. We need to be silent once we get inside."

            "Understood."

***

            Kay climbed into the house.  He slightly opened the door and glanced down the hall.  The hallway was clear, Kay noted and unsheathed his sword.  His eyes darkened as Ken watched his body grow tense.

            "This way," Kay whispered and ran down the hall.

            Ken watched Kay's movements with interest.  If he hadn't experienced an intimate relationship with the musician, he would have never guessed that the person if front of his was the person he slept with the night before.

            A guttural scream was uttered as Kay sliced through a row of guards.  He licked the edge of his sword as Ken watched in disgust. Kay wiped the excess blood from his mouth and opened the door at the end of the hall.  Another scream of pain was uttered as Kay felled another guard.

            "The blood is blue," Kay said as he ran past the dead bodies.

            "The blood is only blue at the source of the wound. No matter where it is, the injury always looks like a snakebite. Isn't technology wonderful? This way," Kay said as he darted down another hallway.

            "He's got a vengeance problem," Aya commented as he stepped into the hallway.

            "Where are the others?"  Ken inquired.

            "Omi's in the air ducts and Yoji is watching outside. I hate seeing someone so overcome with rage."

            "What are you doing here?"  Kay asked as he poked his head around the corner.

            "We're getting involved," Aya said as Kay sheathed his sword.  Ken took his hand and squeezed it.  Kay smiled as Aya watched Ken lean closer to Kay's mouth.  Kay licked his lips as Ken kissed him.  He probed Kay's mouth as he ran his hand over the musician's groin.  Kay's eyes narrowed as he pushed Ken away from him.  He unsheathed his sword and threw it down the hall.  A scream of extreme pain filled the hall followed by the dull thud of a corpse falling to the floor.

            "You guys should leave. This is my problem, not yours," Kay said as Aya helped Ken up.

            "Fighting alone is never a good idea," Ken said.

            "Look, I don't know what you guys really are but I would hate to see either of you get killed. I have a score to settle with the syndicate and now's the time."

            "Kay…"

            "Let him go," Aya said.

            "But…" Ken protested.

            "He's not going to listen. Once that anger is unleashed, logic is thrown to the wind."

            "He can't die. He's too beautiful for death. I'm going to help him."

            "I know you like him. He's a beautiful man but don't let your feelings blind your judgment."

***

            Kay's eyes narrowed as he opened the master bedroom door.  He hoped that Ken and Aya and the others had left.  He didn't want them injured…especially not Ken.  There was something about him…Kay shook his head as he set his sights on the bed.

            He maliciously smiled as he gazed upon his target sleeping soundly.  So unsuspecting he was.  Kay smiled as he crept up to the bed.  With a quick swipe, he slashed through the blanket.  He awaited the scream of extreme pain and when it didn't come, Kay threw back the blankets. He gasped as his eyes rested on a bomb that ticked ominously on the mattress.

            _Fifty._

            Kay slapped his face as he brought his mind back to focus.  He looked at the wiring and pressed a couple of buttons on the back of his bracelet.  The spikes started to glow as Kay focused on the wiring.

            _Thirty._

            His nimble fingers pulled out some wires as he watched the timer continue to count down.

            _Twenty._

            He opened the back of the box and paused when a miniature computer prompted him for a deactivation code.  Kay blinked his eyes as he watched the data on his bracelet flash by.

            _Ten._

            He typed in the password and pressed the enter key as the timer stopped at one second.  He breathed a heavy sigh of relief as he wiped his brow.  An almost inaudible sound caught his ear and Kay ducked just as a bullet whizzed over his head.

            "Your time has come Blue Snakebite," a voice hissed and Kay glanced up.  A tall man with short slate colored hair stood in front of him, pointing a gun at his head.  Kay gazed up the barrel of the gun and gasped at who he saw.

            "Angel…_you're_ in charge?"  he gasped and the other man's dark orange eyes glinted evilly.

            "You should have listened to what they told you after your father's little…_accident._ You would have lived much longer."

            "I never thought…we played together."

            "Music doesn't pay off as well as this job does. You know that I was only playing for the money. You should have stuck with singing Kay. I'm not going to let the last Ritchfield walk away alive. Your family has caused too much destruction to the syndicate. Thanks to you I've got my hands full trying to keep it together. I don't like upstarts Kay. I never have."

            "I always had better moral values than you."

            "Even with one foot in the grave you can still spit venom. It's a shame to kill you. We could use a man like you in the syndicate."

            "The syndicate can go to hell."

            "That poison tongue of yours is what got you into trouble in the first place. If your old man had just paid his debts without his words dripping with acid, you all would have been a lot better off."

            "You set this whole thing up, didn't you?"

            "I knew of your plans ever since you came across that file in the research lab."

            "Bastard."

            "Flattery will get you nowhere Kay."

            "Then the flower shop was a setup too, wasn't it?"

            "Flower shop? What…aaugh!"

            Kay stared as Angel fell to the floor, clutching his chest.  He stared at the arrow embedded in Angel's heart then drew his sword as he heard the rattle of a ventilator being opened.  Omi jumped onto the floor and Kay heaved a sigh of relief.

            "Sorry I took so long. There was some miscommunication on our end," he said. "You okay?"

            "I'm glad to see you kid," Kay said as he patted Omi's head. "That was a nice shot. I don't think I would have made it out if I was on my own."

            "Watch it!"

            Kay screamed in pain as he pulled the knife out of his leg.  His eyes narrowed in rage as he gazed upon the injured figure of Angel.  Angel grinned maliciously as he pulled back the trigger on his gun.

            "I'm taking you down with me, Ritchfield. You're not walking out of this room alive," he growled.

            "You want to play with the snake, don't you? All right then," Kay hissed venomously as he unsheathed his sword.  Omi watched as the red streaks in Kay's hair grew darker and wetter.  He retired to a dark corner and began to speak softly into his communicator.

            "I'm in the master bedroom on the west side of the house. The leader and Kay are here as well. They're both seriously injured and it appears that they're going to fight until death. I can't get out of here without endangering myself. I'd like some help guys," he said as Angel screamed in pain.  Omi ducked as blood spotted the bedroom walls.  He glanced up and watched Kay throw the disembodied parts onto the bed.

            Kay licked the blood from his fingers and winced in pain.  He clutched his leg and fell to the floor.  He tightly grasped his sword for support as the others ran into the room.  Ken offered him a hand and Kay gratefully took it.

            "Your leg isn't real," Omi said as Kay stood up.

            "They call it cybernetic prosthetics. That knife went too deep in my leg that the only way they could save it was to add some mechanical enhancements. Well it looks like I won't be riding my bike for awhile," he said as Aya took his other arm.

            "We'll get you to a hospital. We have a car parked down the street," Aya said and Kay looked at him.

            "All right but while I'm at the hospital will you do me a favor?"

            "What is it?"  Ken inquired.

            "Don't send flowers."


End file.
